The Synchron Military Returns with Poseidon Diving Systems Connection

It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard from the brand Synchron. You might remember a couple years back, the brand re-introduced themselves to the watch world with the Synchron Military, a funky diver that fully embodied 70’s design. The limited release was an instant hit and sold out immediately.

The case shape and design of the Synchron Military mirrored that of a Doxa Sub 300t, with its cushion silhouette and crystal that is affixed flush against the bezel. But that was the only thing the two had in common. The Synchron Military sported this quirky dial layout, peculiar handset, and a fully-indexed countdown bezel without the no-deco scale. At the time, that combination, in that case format, was unlike anything we’ve seen which probably made the Military so popular, especially since the Doxa Sub 300 was already a beloved piece. Synchron and Doxa have a connected past in multiple fashions, and it turns out that the Synchron Military design resides within the Doxa catalog in the form of the Doxa Army. It just so happened that the Synchron Military got a leg up on the Doxa Army.

I’m sure bygones can be bygones between the two brands. There’s plenty of room to play in the sandbox after all, and Synchron is coming back in a big way. In their latest release, Synchron has tapped the Sweden based dive gear outfit, Poseidon Diving Systems, with their new Poseidon Ice Diver.

The outer ring of the dial has the same blocky design. The black minute track is accompanied by white hash marks and hour markers that get a nice helping of “Old Radium” patina. Each hour marker has a corresponding black marker that extends towards the center of the dial, making the aesthetic all the more unique. The handset has always been a distinct one. The hour hand is diminutive compared to the minute hand, highlighting the importance of the larger minute hand in diving scenarios. The minute hand now gets a sword shape and is outlined in yellow, matching the accents of the seconds hand and Poseidon logo at 4:30. If you’re a Doxa aficionado, then you’ll recognize the fish and trident Poseidon logo, as they’ve also done a couple of collaborations with the brand.

The dial uses a brighter white dial as opposed to the cream dial found on the previous Synchron Military. This follows the arctic theme here, and is appropriate considering the Poseidon Ice Diver namesake. Poseidon Diving Systems also has a legitimate historical connection to cold water diving innovation. Poseidon was granted a U.S. patent for the world’s first water and gasproof drysuit called the Unisuit. The Unisuit was fitted with a gasproof zipper and made out of neoprene, which was a big step forward as far as comfortability goes in the water.

The case proportions remain similar to the Synchon Military. The brushed stainless steel case measures 42mm in width, 14mm in thickness, and 45mm lug to lug. Now to those uninitiated to Synchron and Doxa, these case proportions might be a head-scratcher on paper, but make total sense on the wrist. And that’s thanks in large part to the smaller dial width which visually balances out the watch as well.

The Poseidon Ice Diver gets an upgraded movement with the La Joux-Perret G100. The movement is equipped with 68 hours of power reserve, which is significantly more than the ETA 2824 which powered the first Synchron Military. Other upgraded features include KIF shock protection and an adjustment of the movement across four different positions.

I’m usually not a fan of homage pieces, but in this Synchron-Doxa scenario, it’s quite different. Rick Marei, who we can largely thank for the reintroduction of the Doxa Sub 300, is the mastermind behind Synchron. Marei has a strong appreciation for the historical significance of the brands he’s revived and is a watch guy through and through. It shows through Synchron (… and Aquastar, and Isofrane, and Tropic). Now that the Synchron Military is completely out of the Doxa Army’s shadow, it’s nice to see the brand take steps into uncharted territory. I’ll never turn away from a diver of this design, so as long as Synchron keeps making watches of this caliber, I’ll be a happy camper.

The Synchron Military Poseidon Ice Diver is limited to just 1,000 pieces, delivers on an Isofrane strap, and the pre-order price starts at $999. Full retail ends up at $1,290. The limited run will have two different variations – 500 pieces with a black outlined hour hand and seconds hand, and the other half with a white outlined hour hand and seconds hand. The watch will appropriately be released alongside the 2023 Cold Divex, which is an invite-only winter demonstration event hosted by the Swedish Armed Forces Diving and Medical Centre in Boden, Northern Sweden. Synchron